There's no denying that a graphic designer is an integral part of any digital marketing operation. Take them out and the whole machine slows down. You need their time, their ideas, and their craft.
To get the best from your graphic designer, paying them is just the starting point. You need to build a productive working relationship — one grounded in clear communication and mutual respect. Most client-designer relationships deteriorate not over money, but over poor communication. Vague briefs, unrealistic expectations, and careless feedback phrases erode trust and produce mediocre results. If you haven't yet made the case for hiring external design help, our post on why you should outsource graphic design instead of doing it in-house lays out the reasons clearly.
Here are 18 things professional graphic designers are tired of hearing — and what you should say instead.
1. "You are the designer. You know best."
Your designer may be an expert in their field, but they cannot read your mind. Without inputs from you, they have no way to align their work with your vision. Withholding direction does not give them creative freedom — it sets them up to deliver something you will inevitably reject.
2. "Can you please do this for me quickly?"
"Quickly" is not a deadline. It means something different to everyone, and it pressures your designer to cut corners. If you need something urgently, give a specific date and time. Your designer will prioritize accordingly, and the quality of the output will be far better for it.
3. "We don't have the content yet, but can you do a first draft?"
Asking a designer to build a campaign without the content is like asking a builder to construct a house without blueprints. Content gives direction — it determines hierarchy, layout, tone, and length. Always provide content before requesting a design. Even a rough draft of copy is far better than nothing.
4. "I want a design that creates a major impact."
What does "major impact" mean? Impact on whom? Through what channel? Vague ambitions do not translate into actionable design briefs. Your designer needs specifics: the audience, the platform, the desired emotional response, and the goals the design needs to achieve.
5. "This looks too empty. Let's make things bigger and bolder."
Not all great design is loud. Minimalism is a deliberate and powerful technique for communicating clearly and confidently. White space creates focus, guides the eye, and conveys sophistication. Before asking your designer to fill every inch, ask them to explain why the negative space is there — the answer may surprise you.
6. "Just do whatever you think is right. I trust your skills."
Designers are skilled professionals, not psychics. Trusting their abilities does not mean leaving them without guidance — it means giving them a strong brief and then trusting their execution. Without direction, even the most talented designer cannot reliably produce what you want.
7. "It won't take more than a minute of your time!"
Graphic design is not a series of quick clicks. A single design can take hours or even full days depending on complexity. Minimizing the effort involved is disrespectful and leads to rushed, lower-quality work. Let your designer tell you how long something will take — and trust that estimate.
8. "Can you create several versions so we can pick one?"
Creating multiple complete designs is enormously time-consuming and rarely leads to better outcomes. A stronger approach is to align on the vision upfront through a detailed brief and reference examples. If you are genuinely uncertain about direction, do a brief discovery session with your designer before any execution begins.
9. "Just copy the logo from my website."
Logos on websites are typically low-resolution files optimized for screen display — they are unsuitable for print or large-format digital use. Always provide your designer with high-resolution source files (vector formats like AI or EPS are ideal). Low-resolution logos in designs damage both the design quality and your brand credibility.
10. "Working with us will give you great exposure."
Exposure does not pay rent. Graphic designers are skilled professionals who deserve fair compensation for their work. If your budget is limited, say so honestly and discuss what scope is realistic — do not suggest that visibility alone is sufficient payment.
11. "Can we use my favorite colors?"
Color is one of the most strategic elements in visual design. Colors carry emotional associations, influence purchasing decisions, and communicate brand values. Your personal color preferences may work against your brand goals. Leave color decisions to your designer, informed by your brand guidelines and audience psychology. Staying current on which graphic design trends are worth embracing right now will help you brief your designer with more informed direction.
12. "Can you send it ASAP?"
"ASAP" is meaningless without context. It could mean two hours to you and two days to your designer. If the request is urgent, give a specific deadline — "by 3pm Thursday" is actionable. "ASAP" just creates anxiety without enabling better prioritization.
13. "Take inspiration from this — but don't copy it. Make it different but kind of the same."
Contradictory briefs waste everyone's time. If you have a reference you like, explain specifically what you like about it — the color palette, the layout, the typography style, the mood. That gives your designer something concrete to work with and avoids the guesswork that leads to rework.
14. "Can you do it just like XYZ designer?"
This request is problematic on two levels. First, it is a plagiarism request — copying another designer's work is not acceptable. Second, it dismisses your designer's unique skills and creative perspective, which is precisely what you hired them for. Use references to identify elements you like, but give your designer the freedom to create something original.
15. "It looks fine on my screen."
Your screen is one screen. Your customers use screens in every shape, size, resolution, and caliber. What appears sharp on your monitor at home may look blurry on a large-format display or jagged on a high-density mobile screen. Trust your designer's judgment on resolution requirements — they are designing for your entire audience, not just for you.
16. "Something's not working, but I can't put my finger on it."
Vague feedback produces vague revisions. If something does not feel right, try to describe what specifically is bothering you — is it the font, the spacing, the color balance, the hierarchy? Even approximate feedback like "the headline feels too small relative to the image" gives your designer something actionable to address.
17. "You'll revise it as many times as I want, right?"
Unlimited free revisions are not a realistic expectation with most designers. Almost all professionals cap free revisions at a set number, with additional changes billed separately. If revision cycles are important to you, clarify this upfront and factor it into the budget conversation. Endless revision requests without compensation are a fast path to burning out your designer.
18. "Everyone is our target audience."
No brand successfully targets everyone — not Amazon, not Coca-Cola, not Apple. Even broad consumer brands have defined primary demographics. Without a target audience, your designer cannot make informed choices about tone, imagery, typography, or color. Specify who you are trying to reach, and you will get designs that actually resonate with those people.
A graphic designer's job involves far more than software proficiency. It requires strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and hours of careful, iterative work. The clients who get the best results are not necessarily those with the biggest budgets — they are the ones who communicate clearly, provide thorough briefs, and give their designers the information and respect needed to do excellent work. If you're still deciding whether to hire a designer at all, read the six concrete reasons to hire a graphic designer instead of DIYing.
Do your designer a favor: avoid the phrases above, invest time in a detailed brief, and trust their professional judgment. The designs you receive in return will reflect that partnership.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Working with Graphic Designers
What should a good design brief include? A strong design brief covers your project goals, target audience, brand guidelines (colors, fonts, logo files), preferred style or tone, reference examples, file format requirements, and a clear deadline. The more specific you are upfront, the fewer revision cycles you will need. A one-page brief takes fifteen minutes to write and saves hours of rework.
How many revisions should I expect from a graphic designer? Most freelance designers include two to three rounds of revisions in their quoted price, with additional rounds billed separately. Subscription design services like Digital Polo offer unlimited revisions as part of the flat monthly fee. Either way, you will get better results by consolidating your feedback into comprehensive rounds rather than sending changes one at a time.
How do I give design feedback that actually helps? Be specific and descriptive rather than evaluative. Instead of "I don't like this," try "the headline font feels too informal for our brand — can we try something with more authority?" Reference examples help too: "the color palette in this reference feels closer to what we want." The more precisely you describe the problem, the faster your designer can solve it.
Why won't my designer just copy a competitor's design? Copying existing designs is plagiarism and potential copyright infringement. It also means your brand gets a derivative identity rather than a distinctive one. Your designer can absolutely draw inspiration from references — identifying what works about a piece and applying those principles in an original way. That is fundamentally different from copying.
What file formats should I provide to my graphic designer? Always provide logo files in vector format (AI, EPS, or SVG) rather than raster formats (JPG, PNG). Vector files scale to any size without quality loss. For brand photography, provide the highest-resolution files available. For references or inspiration, any format works. The better the raw materials you provide, the better the finished design will be.
